Two guests and a fascinated pet

A baby groundhog climbed up onto our deck. He and Cody (the cat who makes an appearance below) were nose to nose through the window before Grace (the dog) chased it away.


A hummingbird website says that to know how many hummers are eating at your feeder, multiply how many you see at one time X 4. We usually see 3 at a time, although Morgan saw 4 at one time today.


Cody climbed half way up the screen door to get a better view of the hummingbirds.

Prayer Request

Remember how I told you that my last chemo treatment was going better than the previous ones? Well, the first few days were better, but it went downhill after that.


My next tx is Monday (which is my birthday, btw!), and I was dreading it more than the first three, because chemo side effects are usually cumulative--what happens the first time will be worse with subsequent treatments. HOWEVER, I am trusting God to do amazing things, and take care of me once again.


So, please join me in praying that this treatment will not be as bad as the last one, for His glory!

Thank you, my faithful friends and prayer partners.
God bless.

Late June at Rehoboth Farm

Our first grapes.
Morgan took the picture of the rainbow.
A tiny toad.

Praise God for music!

A capacity crowd greeted the River City Brass Band in Riverfront Park on Saturday evening.
Great music, great weather, great fun!

Drew Fennel, a Ford City native, is a member of the RCBB and the Kittanning Firemen's Band,

who joined the Brass Band for the last few numbers.
The icing on the cake.

What's blooming at my house today

Pink Astilbe

Rose

Asian Lily

Red Astilbe

Butterfly Plant (Gaura)

Relay for Life 2007

Lilies are my daughter's favorite flower . . .

. . . so I planted some where she could see them from our swing.

I couldn't resist sharing this email . . .

My niece Mandy sent me this. It is now 11 pm and steriods are still going strong!

Funny UPS Mechanics

After every flight, UPS pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet," which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.

Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor.
Here are some [supposedly] actual maintenance complaints submitted by UPS pilots and the solutions recorded by maintenance engineers.

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.

P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.

P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.

P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.

Chemo Day--So Far, So Good!

New chemo tx today, and I feel good. No nausea, yet; not even a little, and it is now 10:20 pm. I worked at home all afternoon and evening (mostly work work, but some home work and a little church stuff, too). I'm sure I can credit the steroids for that :).

So many people are praying for me, and so many particularly for today. THANK YOU. I know you are the reason that I am doing as well as I am.

I was reading Colossians this week, and this scripture was in neon (don't you love when that happens?)--Paul gives instructions for several people at the end of Chapter 4. In verse 17, he exhorts Archippus, "And say to Archippus [read Mindy], 'See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.'" This journey is a ministry to me, and you--my faithful pray-ers--are the ones enabling me to be a witness to others. It is my heart's desire to honor God through every part of this journey, and it is only because of Him and your prayers that I have accomplished anything, as inadequate as I feel it to be.

Wonderful, well-meaning people encourage me to "be strong," "have faith," and "fight the battle." I don't know how. I am strong only in the Lord, any faith I have is in his Word alone, and the battle is His. The only thing I can do is to be obedient; to fulfull the ministry I have received. This I do only through His grace and mercy, and the support and prayers of His body. Each of you has as much a part in this ministry as do I, so I exhort you as well, and thank you with all my heart.

Harvest Communtiy Church in the Park

Waves of Thunder Sunday

Harvest Church @ Waves of Thunder

Saturday Nature Pics

Daisies in the morning.

We get blue pinecones on our balsaam firs.

Berry promises fulfilled & a prayer request

I have a prayer request for next Monday. My last 3 chemo treatments are with a different drug, and the first one is Monday. We don't know how I will react to this one, and I am a little apprehensive after how badly my first tx went, so I would appreciate extra prayer--thanks! God bless.

Waves of Thunder this weekend!

Join us in Kittanning Riverfront Park this weekend for the Waves of Thunder motorcycle show. We will be at the Harvest Community Church booth part of the time, and will be attending the church service on Sunday morning at 10 am in the Murtha Ampitheater along the Allegheny River in the park. Harvest Community and The First Church of God, Kittanning are joining together for the service, with Harvest's Pastor Mike Greiner preaching. Stop by the Harvest table and say 'hello!'

I met an amazing woman yesterday . . .

Let me introduce you to Gail Koch, a breast cancer survivor and motorcycle rider. She is one of only twenty women who have been chosen to fly to LA and participate in a motorcycle ride to raise breast cancer funds and awareness. Harley Davidson will lend her a motorcycle for 10 days for the 1000-mile ride, which ends up in San Francisco.

Amazon Heart Thunder sponsors the 1000-mile rides. All riders must be breast cancer survivors, and commit to raising at least $1,500 in donations for breast cancer causes.

Please join me in supporting Gail's fundraiser! Checks should be made payable to "Amazon Heart," and can be mailed to Gail Koch, 3498 Center Avenue, Finleyville, PA 15332. Tell her you're a friend of Mindy's!

(Big checks are wonderful, but please do not hesitate to help because you can only send a small amount. When I was raising funds for Mindy's No Hair Day, I can't tell you how much those $10 and $20 checks touched my heart. Every bit helps!)

Storm Damage

Thank God, the house is okay. I pray everyone else escaped serious damage, as well.